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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU Diet Coke at a party?

517 replies

early30smum · 28/01/2017 18:50

DD (7) has just got back from a party. The only drinks put out for the kids were Diet Coke! She did get some water in the end, but the drink provided for each child was a mini can of Diet Coke!

AIBU to think this is a bit weird/uneccesary for a birthday party of 7-8 yr olds?

OP posts:
Original poster
early30smum · 29/01/2017 22:23

Yikes, I went out tonight and had expected this thread to have died a death but just come back to 5 new pages.

I really, really want to make clear as the OP that I don't think giving a child Coke or Diet Coke at a party is bad parenting, of course it's not. It's not what I would choose but my main concern was there was NO other option, and I completely believe DD when she says this. In fact, she told me that when she first asked one of the staff at the party venue for water she was told no. When she asked the party child's Mum they found her some water. I also get the point that someone mentioned that maybe they simply forgot to put other drinks out?

Anyway, today she had another party and I actually sent her with a water bottle mainly as we were going aomwwher after and she likes to take water with her. Picked her up, there had only been fruit juice laid out this time so she had just drunk her own water. So actually it seems not providing water is not that odd, as some of you have said.

I think the answer is to send her with water in future so she doesn't have to annoy the host asking for a drink if she doesn't like what's there.

I would also like to say I'm really not that parent that hovers over everything DD does, wants to know exactly what she's eaten/drunk etc, she's allowed plenty of 'treat' foods etc.

OP posts:
Maltbreadwithbutter · 29/01/2017 22:30

I have no reason to be biased.

Off goes narky to work at the Aspartame factory. . . 😄

Foxesarefriends · 29/01/2017 22:32

Aspartame studies have been going on for over 25 years now.

Foxesarefriends · 29/01/2017 22:33

I am happy with this from the NHS

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-aspartame.aspx

Maltbreadwithbutter · 29/01/2017 22:35

Not long enough yet then. That's still early days as far as these things go.

Foxesarefriends · 29/01/2017 22:35

No, that's in your opinion.

PurpleDaisies · 29/01/2017 22:37

Not long enough yet then. That's still early days as far as these things go.

That's a bizarre position to take. The overwhelming scientific evidence shows aspartame is safe.

Do you vaccinate your children?

Maltbreadwithbutter · 29/01/2017 22:40

Let's not go off topic. We are talking coke.

PurpleDaisies · 29/01/2017 22:43

I'm interested to see how consistent your principles are regarding the safety of aspartame.

I'll just assume you have vaccinated your children. There are non-scientific sites which claim vaccines are unsafe but the reliable scientific community agrees they are. Aspartame is deemed safe by the NHS and the wider scientific community yet you think you know better. I'm curious why given I expect you've trusted them on vaccines.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 29/01/2017 22:48

Just because you personally believe something is bad for children does not make it true.

The scientific consensus at present, and for rather a long time, from very clever people, is that it is not not safe. This is enough to constitute a reliable fact.

hennaoj · 29/01/2017 22:50

My 8 year old will only drink water. He gets very upset if non available, which is usually if the school has a party! I really wouldn't want my almost 6 year old having cola of any type (he gets the odd fresh fruit juice with a straw) as his baby teeth are terrible (was born like that) and I really don't want his adult teeth ruined if at all possible (don't know if it's down to weakness of them so not chancing it). If it was him at the party I would be quite annoyed as he would drink it and potentially wreck weak teeth.

Maltbreadwithbutter · 29/01/2017 22:51

But didn't those cigarette advertising doctors work for the NHS?

As I said previously I haven't even said which side I sit on, just pointing out that it's not been said that it is 100% safe. All these things are very carefully worded.

And yes, in my opinion 25 years is not long for studies of this kind.

hennaoj · 29/01/2017 22:52

Plus the thought of the almost 6 year old on any volume of caffeine is quite scary. He is small for his age and nuts enough as it is!

pollymere · 29/01/2017 22:56

My dd had her 11th party last weekend. We didn't offer food just snacks. However, we had: Pepsi, 7up, Fanta zero, 7up free (just in case of diabetic kids) as well as two types of squash and water. Some kids only drank squash and one only water. I would have been cross if my dd had been offered just a small can of diet coke, even more so at a Year 3 party when most kids still mainly drink squash or water.

Foxesarefriends · 29/01/2017 22:56

Fruit juice is no better for teeth than fizzy drinks.
I am seeing a real difference in opinions here which leans quite heavily to one group being far more evidence based.

Passthecake30 · 29/01/2017 23:06

I'm with you OP, I disagree worth diet drinks (I get migraines from aspartine so it's not something I'd push on my kids) and I want them not to have Coke for as long as possible due to my families caffeine sensitivities...

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 29/01/2017 23:17

And yes, in my opinion 25 years is not long for studies of this kind

And your opinion on scientific studies is of value to us why? Are you a scientist? Do you know how the process works? Do you understand the results?
I'm guessing no.

PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 29/01/2017 23:23

So some of us haven't given our kids fizzy drinks and that means "we think we're perfect parents"??

Err no, my kids just haven't asked to try fizzy drinks so they haven't had them. Why is everything so polarized around here? ?

Maltbreadwithbutter · 29/01/2017 23:25

My opinion that 25 years is not long for studies of this kind is of value to those who are interested (not you, obvs) because it took a lot longer than 25 years for the fact that smoking causes cancer to be recognised/admitted.

These things take time.

No need to be a scientist.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 29/01/2017 23:29

And clear to see you aren't one. Hmm

25 years is a long time in science.

BTW, the first medical literature published that linked tobacco with cancer was publish in 1912.

Maltbreadwithbutter · 29/01/2017 23:35

Never claimed to be one.

Thank you. And they put the warning on packets in 1971. I rest my case.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 29/01/2017 23:41

I wouldn't rest it before you understood it. You're mixing up science and politics there.

Just admit you don't know how these things work, and your opinion is unqualified. It's easy.

Maltbreadwithbutter · 29/01/2017 23:45

And that is your opinion.

My case is rested and happy. -With a little unintended help from you- 😊

OopsDearyMe · 29/01/2017 23:48

The only thing weird was the Diet bit , I wondered if they thought it was healthier than normal coke??

OopsDearyMe · 29/01/2017 23:49

Aspartame is pretty crap for diabetics and pcos suffers tho as it apparently causes insulin spikes.